


"Into The Woods"

by UncleRibs



Category: Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon & Comics), Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Blood and Injury, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Lost in the Woods, Panic Attacks, TMNT, The Unknown (Over the Garden Wall), otgw - Freeform, rottmnt, tags do how what, tcesters BEGONE, will add more tags later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:47:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27237511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UncleRibs/pseuds/UncleRibs
Summary: What happens when fate brings you to a unfamiliar place. With strange people, and strange places.What happens when you wake up in a mystical forest filled with creatures and monsters, with hardly any understanding of how you got there?What would happen?On a simple afternoon on Halloween the turtle brothers were enjoying themselves, hanging out with each other and blending in with the crowd of people dressed up. It wasn't night yet, and they were excited to spend it scaring each other and getting candy. But somehow, their plan ended up changing... and suddenly, their lives were on the line.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	1. "The Farmer and His Gnome"

**Author's Note:**

> Led through the mist,
> 
> By the milk-light of moon,
> 
> All that was lost, is revealed.

Mikey honestly couldn't remember a thing. His head was so fuzzy, laying in his bed. Alone. Well alone for about 5 minutes until he felt a thwack at his head.

He probably said 'ow' and '5 more minutes,' but at the time he didn't understand the situation he was in, and he probably didn't remember saying it anyway. Another familiar thwack, and Mikey was up. His bones felt sore and achy, like he just ran a marathon, twice. The air was a lot more crisp then he remembered, and he wasn't in his pajamas anymore.

"Ugh… did I pass out from a food coma earlier or something..?"

Michael turned to the familiar stranger who was presumably the head thwacker.

Although strangers are only friends you haven't made yet, they can be brothers you only just recognized.

Donnie sat there, legs crossed, arms folded. Mikey's mind began racing, 'Oh god, did I do something?!' He never usually looked this upset unless someone really screwed up on their end. And I mean really fucking screwed up.

The leaves were soft on his arms, but he couldn't feel it on the rest of his skin. 

'My… skin… what was I wearing?'

The realization sunk in slowly as he looked down at the unfamiliar clothing he was in. Overalls, striking two sparkly yellow buttons on each of his sides. Some sort of leather boots, and a little green t-shirt under his overalls. Strange outfit, obviously. It got even stranger realizing the little silver teapot covering his head. He took it off for a moment until the breeze brushed by, making him quickly cover his head up again. But Mikey's confusion furthered from what Donnie was wearing. 

He didn't realize he laughed a little till Donnie gave him a look. Don looked like a weird garden gnome with the red tipped hat and a striking blue coat. Well, it looked like a coat. Definitely something Mikey would use if he was younger, pretending to be a superhero. Suddenly, his head began racing, wait. He recognized this person, but who was he?! Mikey was taking so long figuring out his surroundings, but he couldn't put my finger on who he was. He was too disoriented.

Then Donnie spoke up.

"Mikey-" he kept speaking but honestly he had this strangest urge not to pay attention.

Mikey… oh! Right! Now he remembered who he was! Pizza loving mutant ninja teenage turtle Mikey! Mystery solved, now to solve the bigger question…

Where are they?

He looked dazed and trying to keep up with everything around him, except for Donnie. "Michael!" He snapped his fingers at Mikey's nose.

"Mikey! Snap out of it, are you hurt?" He finally seemed to understand what Donnie was asking. "Oh uh.." he rubbed his head. "Nah, I'm alright Donnie."

'Good, he recognized me. That's a good sign. No brain damage, hopefully.'

Donnie was worried, since judging by the fact it was night, that both of them had been out for hours.

"Come here," Don lifted his arm over his shoulder, helping Mikey steady himself.

God that hat looked stupid on him, but even his mask couldn't cover the freezing cold around them. Mikey kept looking at it. Donnie stumbled a bit, still shaken from waking up himself.

He woke up surrounded by trees and bugs, and without his precious tech. And instead of his battle shell, he had this stupid coat and hat. Well, he had to admit it was better than no cover at all. He might as well make due with what he has. Crickets continued to chirp, making Donnie feel dizzy. His own surroundings were unfamiliar just like Mikey's. If he hadn't found his brother…

"Hey Donnie?"

He was snapped out of his thoughts from Mikey, weakly chiming in.

"Where are we?" Donnie sighed. "I'm trying to answer that myself… well obviously we are in the woods but I damn can't see anywhere past these trees. 

So Michael, frankly I have no clue where we are."

Donnie gritted his teeth in frustration, looking around the area for about the 5th time. "Let's just…" scanning his surroundings, he noticed an opening in the trees. "There. See? An opening in the trees probably means we are just in some forest trail! Noooo need to panic."

Why would they be on a trail? In the middle of the night? Dressed as a dumb farmer and a weird looking gnome?

Too many questions, so little answers. But Mikey seemed to look a little brighter from Don's revelation. "Yeah! Maybe we can find the others too!"

"Others? What others?"

Mikey paused for a second, finally being able to stand on his own.

"You know Don, I'm not quite sure… am.. ugh, I feel like I'm forgetting something."

Mikey scratched his head, or scratched his head under the teapot on it.

"Me too, it's like… Mikey... Mikey, that's a teapot. Mikey why are you wearing a teapot?"

"Donnie, that's a gnome hat! Why are you wearing a gno-"

Donnie quickly covered his mouth. "My head is COLD, this is a HAT, you are wearing a TEAPOT." This was a crime against fashion! And frankly Donnie was offended by the teapot, and his gnome cap.

To be honest, Mikey was kind of getting used to his stupid outfit. No clue why but he just, liked it.

"Donnie, I'm keeping the teapot on my head whether you like it or not. Besides! I look dashing in it don't I!"

"No not really you kind of just look like some turtle with a teapot on his head."

"And you look like a turtle with a gnome hat." Donnie scrunched his snout and groaned. "Enough with the gnome hat let's just- woods. Opening. Onward. Let's go."

There was no use arguing, Donnie might be right. They might have just gone to some weird Halloween party and got lost, it was October after all. Or everything was or already had truly gone horribly wrong.

They just couldn't remember why, or how. But nonetheless, they ventured off into the opening. While a single leaf fell behind them in their place.


	2. "The Woodsman"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our long bygone burdens, mere echoes of the spring,
> 
> But where have we come, and where shall we end?
> 
> If dreams can't come true, then why not pretend?

“I'm telling you D! We already went this way!”

Donnie began to pace back and forth. His migraine was getting worse.

“Are you completely sure? Because I swear I would have left a carving or something…” He looked at a very familiar tree with a very familiar ‘D’ carved into it. Mikey was right. They HAD been here.

Of course Donnie wasn’t going to admit that anytime soon. “Let’s just… retrace our tracks.”

“WHAT tracks?!” Donnie looked back at Mikey. “What?” Upon further inspection, Mikey was once again, surprisingly right. The dirt trail they followed left no tracks, actually it left no sign of anything. It’s like there was simply just the ghost of their footprints, there, but unable to be seen.

”Shit.”

The wind continued to pick up, almost blowing away Donnie’s cap. They had to find shelter soon before things got worse.

Things couldn’t get worse, but they could. And they did.

There was a snap.

They weren't alone.

And before Donnie and Mikey could process what was going on they saw a bright light from behind them, and bolted off. Donnie grabbed Mikey’s wrist and just ran, he didn’t know where he was going, but he jumped off the path and just ran. His muscles were already hurting when he woke up but now they were screaming for him to slow down, but he couldn’t, not until he knew they were both truly safe.

Suddenly, a mill could be seen up ahead. Mikey yelled out, pointing to it. But Donnie was already running towards the dim light from the mill. They both quickly ran inside.

They looked around the inky black room for a while, stumbling and bumping into objects they couldn’t even recognize. Donnie realized the light must have been coming from another room, looking to the left and seeing a shut door with a bright aura around the cracks. He walked closer towards the door, jiggling the knob.

Locked. Great.

Their only source of light was right in front of them, yet was inaccessible. Mikey was able to stumble around enough to find a candle.

“Hey D! Do you have anything in your weird hat to start a fire?”

“Well Micheal why don’t I just whip out a lighter from my ass OH WAIT were in the WOODS with NO WEAPONS being CHASED by some THING and my ASS is not a STORAGE COMPARTMENT-”

The door slammed open.

Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit.

Donnie covered Mikey’s mouth. From the way Mikey looked at the figure in the door he was about to shriek. The figure walked forward into the house as Donnie quickly shuffled quietly behind a couch with Mikey still in his grasp.

The figure proceeded to sit down and light a fire with a pair of flint and steel in its pocket.

“Well that might have been useful..” Donnie whispered.

With the fireplace started, Donnie was able to get a clear look at this thing.

It was large, very tall, could probably crush both of the brothers in half like twigs. It wore a large brown coat, with white seams on the end. They had these large black boots on and a beanie. There seemed to be a tophat on the table next to them, but they didn’t pay much attention to it. But what frightened Donnie the most was the large scarf covering its mouth, showing its big, round, eyes. The pupils of the creature were small and they seemed to be… scared?

Mikey looked up at the creature, and recognized something. The creature seemed to be emitting some sort of stink, it wasn’t the worst thing but you could smell it’s fear.

Mikey paused for a second, before creeping out from the couch. Donnie grabbed his shoulder.

“Mikey! What are you doing!?” He said in the most stern yet quiet voice he could. “Donnie, smell the air.”

Donnie took a quick whiff as the creature walked towards one of the cabinets and set down a polished oil lantern. But he definitely recognized that stink.

“Raph!”

Mikey nearly made his brother stumble hearing his loud yell. The moment Raph turned around he looked shocked, but relieved. They immediately ran into each other's embrace, as Donnie quickly followed behind Mikey.

“I can’t believe it!” Raph nearly had tears in his eyes. “I-I remember waking up here… I couldn’t find you, o-or Donnie, or Leo, I-I got so worried I-” It didn’t take long for the tears to start rolling and for Donnie to join in awkwardly on the hug.

“Hey,” Mikey looked up at his big brother. “We’re ok, and if we're alright then it means that Leo is too!” He snuggled up to his brother, attempting to ignore his fear stink, which still lingered in the air. “We are gonna find him, but first I gotta ask something…”

“Hmm?” Raph let go of his little brother for a minute to look down at him.

“What’s with the outfit?”

Raph chuckled. “I could say the same for you! But honestly, at this point I’d wear anything to not freeze to death out here.” 

“More importantly,” Donnie chimed in.

“Why are you living in a mill?”

“Who says i'm living in a mill…”

They both looked at each other for a second.

“Ok so i'm living in a mill… hey! This place is abandoned and I'm not gonna stand outside for 2 weeks waiting for you guys to come back!”

Donnie had a blank look on his face. “What do you mean... 2 weeks?”

Raph had already got up and sat down on the couch at this point, taking his scarf and hat off. “I woke up in the mill about 2 weeks ago… No sign of anyone. There was food here, and some supplies… and I already woke up with this thing on,” he gestured to his outfit. “I hiked off in a different direction at one point but I just ended up getting lost and circling back here. Found this thing too… It was in the middle of the woods.” He held up the black lantern. “Took me ages to figure out how to get it to work.” He began fiddling with his thumbs. “I tried looking for you guys but, there was just no sign of you. I hate to admit it, but I lost myself a couple times… In more ways than one...“ His expression became sorrowful. “But… I had to stay strong. If I was here, then it's possible you guys might have been out there too, guess I was right on that one. But, I just can’t remember how we got here… I can’t remember anything.”

Mikey and Donnie exchanged a wary glance.

“We actually woke up just a couple hours ago…” Mikey explained. “Same situation as you. Woke up, dumb outfits, in the woods, we’re lost.” He huffed as he fell against the couch, it was stiffer then he thought.

They sat in silence for a bit, just attempting to access the situation. 

Then Raph stood up. “Well, if Leo is still out there we can’t just continue to mope around can we? We gotta find him.” He quickly snatched up his lantern and some old oil jars he found. “Wherever he is.”

Donnie nodded.“Raph’s right, if this is some weird puzzle or illusion thing we got thrown into, i'm sure we can figure out how to break it! Because I didn’t wanna say anything but I really miss my tech right now and my phone.”

Mikey and Raph groaned. “Say anything about your phone during the hike and i'm going to shove your head into the mill.”

“You wouldn't.” Probably… Donnie hoped. Maybe he could save his gripes and worries for later... 

His worries began to arise again when he saw two, large colorful eyes, peeping back at him from the open door. He could feel his heart sink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this chapter was worth the wait! Its much longer than the first chapter which I'm really proud of, but oh dear I'm such a monster for adding a cliffhanger.  
> 3rd chapter is gonna take a little bit longer, sorry! But I have lots of stuff to do, but any who, enjoy the story!  
> -Ribs

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first fanfic so I hope that you enjoy it!  
> And don't worry, more will be explained about the fate of the brothers in the future ;)


End file.
